Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy Brings Four Player Split-Screen To iOS Gaming Via AirPlay

Some iOS games have done some pretty cool stuff with AirPlay, including Real Racing HD 2, but it's always seemed like there's so much more possible from the technology, especially when it comes to gaming. A new update for Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy from Namco Bandai adds split-screen gaming via AirPlay and the Apple TV. Up to four players can dogfight at once now, each playing from their own individual devices.

Some iOS games have done some pretty cool stuff with AirPlay, including Real Racing HD 2, but it’s always seemed like there’s so much more possible from the technology, especially when it comes to gaming. A new update for Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy from Namco Bandai adds split-screen gaming via AirPlay and the Apple TV. Up to four players can dogfight at once now, each playing from their own individual devices.

You can see a quick demo of the feature in action in the trailer from Namco below, but it works just like you’d expect it to, and it brings back fond memories of Star Fox-like aerial combat, splitting the screen horizontally for two players, or into quadrants for four. Best of all, it’s a free update for existing Sky Gamblers owners, and there’s no in-app purchase or anything required to unlock the new multiplayer features.

It’s yet another sign that Apple’s role in living room gaming is only beginning to be explored. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are coming at the issue from the other way around, building mobile tech hooks into their consoles and in Nintendo’s case, essentially turning its controller into a tablet with the Wii U. Apple has the momentum with the rise in mobile gaming, however, while traditional gaming is facing challenges. And as more developers harness the abilities of AirPlay and video out on its devices, and use them for things other than straight-up mirroring, we’ll see even more innovation like this from companies like Namco that come from a console background and want to translate the best of those experiences to a mobile paradigm.